


First Date

by magnesiumflamingo



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Friendship/Love, Light Angst, Love Confessions, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Or Is It?, Pining, Unrequited Love, poor steve
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-09-28 17:10:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20429510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magnesiumflamingo/pseuds/magnesiumflamingo
Summary: Finally Steve has summoned up the courage to ask Bucky out on a date but it doesn't exactly go quite as planned.





	First Date

"I love you."

That was it. Everything was out in the open. Steve was bearing his heart for the entire world to see. His entire world.

He felt like he couldn't breathe.

Steve had wanted to tell him for so long. Tell him how much he meant to him. Of course Bucky already knew he would die for him, but Steve had never told him why.

Until now.

And Bucky responded with a heart-warming smile. That smile he had fallen in love with. Steve watched his lips, wanting to kiss him so badly, but resisted the temptation: he needed to know if he felt the same way first.

He didn't know what he would do if he didn't feel that same way.

Steve was risking their entire friendship. Yet his feelings couldn’t go on unsaid. It was a shame that he had chosen to blurt it out mid-conversation, though he doubted there was a way he could have planned the right moment to say it.

After all, he had been putting it off the months- years… And now Bucky was mentally better after his stay in Wakanda, this felt like the right time. 

Well as right as it would ever feel.

"I love you too, man," Bucky said, giving him a hard pat on the back. "Seriously would be lost without you here too."

Bucky didn't get it.

Not as a friend. More than a friend, you idiot.

"You mean everything to me," Steve said honestly. It was funny that he was never nervous in a fight, but somehow explaining his feelings made his palms sweat and his knees weak. "For real. I’m serious, Buck. And I was wondering-"

"-You about to ask me to prom or something?"

"No, I-" He needed to say it. “More like I'm about to ask you on a date... So, uh, how about it? A date, that is? With me? Me and you, on a date?"

It wasn’t as smooth as it had been in his head but there it was. Out in the open.

He felt sick.

And then Bucky said the exact words he had only ever dreamed of hearing.

"God, I thought you'd never ask." 

Bucky met his stare. Steve's heart felt like it was in his throat. The whole situation felt unreal.

Had both of them been waiting all this time, both trying to hide their feelings for the other?

Steve found the thought amusing.

After all, they both wanted each other to be happy but ironically never felt like they deserved happiness themselves.

And, he supposed, for the first time in a long time, that maybe he did deserve it.

Maybe Bucky was his happiness.

He didn't deserve him. He didn't deserve his kindness or humour or beauty... And he had no doubt that Bucky felt the same way about him.

"Seriously? You want a date?"

Bucky nodded with a smirk. "Hell yeah. Tonight. Pick me up at 7. And we have a proper fancy restaurant date. I'll take nothing less."

Steve was wondering whether to kiss him right now or wait.

No, he wanted it to be special.

He wanted to wait.

After that Steve was basically counting down the minutes until 7PM. It didn't matter he had plans. They could be cancelled.

This was the only thing in his life that matted right now.

The restaurant was super expensive with a booking this late. The restaurant was so sought after that he actually needed to play the superhero card and tell them who he was for a table. It wasn't something he typically did, but it was worth it. Bucky deserved the best of the best.

He fixed up his hair and wore his best outfit. It was a simple shirt and jeans, and he was annoyed that they were legitimately the best clothes he owned, but he supposed Bucky was never one for judging appearances.

Then again, he had only dealt with Bucky as a friend. This was unknown ground. Maybe he was overthinking it all?

Steve shook away the anxiety and concentrated on the only thing that mattered. The fact Bucky was the person he wanted to spend every single moment of his life with and missed every moment he wasn't there. 

If that isn't love, he doesn't know what is.

Roses were tacky, he knew that. But he bought them anyway.

He was walking up to the door with them in hand.

Why the hell was he so nervous?

This was what he had been wanting for so long and he was finally doing it? He wouldn't even believe it himself if he was told this morning that today was the day he would go on a date with the love of his life.

Yet, here he was.

Steve breathed deeply.

There was nothing to be nervous about. He was seeing Bucky, just in a different context. They were both still the exact same people. Except they were going on a date. The two would talk just the same as they always did, and there just might be more kissing. He hoped, at least.

He knocked on the door. No turning back now.

Bucky opened it.

He was dressed in a hoodie and sweatpants - not exactly the first date outfit Steve expected but he didn't care. The only thing that mattered was that they were actually doing this.

Though he was surprised how long it took him for him to realise how he felt about him considering that he thought Bucky wearing his sweats with his hair tied back in a messy bun was one of the hottest sights possible. The man looked so good without even trying, how was that fair?

"Steve?" He looked surprised to see him, and then even more surprised by the roses. Though maybe surprised was the wrong word. More like, confused. Bucky raised an eyebrow. "They for me?"

"Yeah," Steve said, trying to look as confident as he could. To which Bucky looked even more confused and then he looked like something finally clicked as he accepted them.

"Oh right, yeah," Bucky exclaimed. Did he forget? "Sorry, I didn't get you anything."

"That's alright."

Bucky laughed. "So what the hell do people do with flowers anyway?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Steve grinned as Bucky threw the bouquet down on the coffee-table. "So, uh, that your date night outfit?"

"Obviously!" Steve didn't know whether it was sarcasm or not. "What? You don't like it?"

"You look good whatever you wear." It was cheesy how much he meant that.

"Thank you. That's more like it,” Bucky said as he fell onto the sofa.

Steve stood there awkwardly for a moment before deciding to sit down himself.

He glanced at his watch.

He didn't want to rush them but they needed to get to the restaurant soon as it took roughly twenty minutes to get there. Shamefully, he had to pull the I’m Captain America card to be able to get a table at this much late notice, which he dated doing but it was a necessary measure. 

Though, he guessed if Bucky didn't want to go there, it didn't matter. They could stay in the flat for all he cared, pricey non-refundable deposit so be it.

"So, in all seriousness though, you staying? We getting takeaway?" Bucky asked.

"I was thinking we could go out instead? I know this great food place- Well, I've never been there myself but I've heard from people it's good."

"Cool. I'll text the guys and tell them to meet us there?"

Now it was Steve's turn to look confused. "The guys?"

"Yeah. Sam, Nat and whoever."

Oh.

Steve furrowed his eyebrows. "I was actually just thinking it could just be us?"

"Just us?"

What the hell did Bucky think a date was? Of course he didn't want other people there.

"If that's OK with you?"

"Uh, sure." Bucky grinned, "God, we sure this isn't an actual date?"

_What?_

Steve realised in that second that Bucky thought this entire thing was a joke. He had been playing along with what he thought was Steve's joke. What he had thought to be butterflies in his stomach quickly turned into just the feeling of pure sickness.

He didn’t know what to say.

Did he play along with this as a joke? Or did he come clean?

He picked the less embarrassing one.

"Ha, don't worry. You'll know when I'm actually taking you on a date. I'd get you a way bigger bouquet than that."

"I was about to say something... Like there's what 15 flowers? That's a pretty cheap date."

"Tell me you wouldn't be cheap," Steve laughed, despite the feeling of sadness rising up in him.

"Not at all, Rogers. Not at all."

He wanted- needed to change the subject. "So, want me to order the takeaway?"

"Thought you wanted to go out?"

"With the very best New York pizza delivery places in our vicinity?"

"Pizza's good with me."

And as he ate the pizza he wished that it had more an effect of filling that empty void that swallowed him the moment Bucky made him aware this wasn't an actual date.


End file.
